Gorgeous looks like she’s sitting pretty for victory

GORGEOUS Noora should reap handsome dividends by stepping back up to six furlongs at Lingfield.

The lightly-raced filly is a nice horse, and produced an uplifting performance at Chelmsford at the beginning of the month.

Gorgeous Noora did not win, but she could not have got much closer.

The daughter of Raven’s Pass flew home in a fivefurlong handicap but the line came too soon and she went down by a short head to You’re Cool.

Luca Cumani’s inmate has gone up 3lb for the Betway Sprint Handicap but she has only raced five times in her career and is clearly still progressing nicely.

And after having broken her maiden over this trip at Wolverhampton a year ago, this ascent in distance should work its proverbial oracle.

There are good races to be won with Middle Kingdom, who can shrug off the burden of top weight in the Betway Handicap over a mile and a quarter.

John Gosden’s colt did the business on his first two career starts, which included a no-nonsense debut success on the Newcastle all-weather 12 months ago, and hardly lost much in defeat at Chelmsford on November 9.

Forth Bridge can take advantage of a drop in class to open his account over fences in the Porto Racing Saddlery Novices’ Chase at Southwell.

Bardd shaped well on his first run for six months and now looks ready to strike in the East Rudham Amateur Riders’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle at Fakenham. JAKE Ball is out to prove himself in Australia after returning to full fitness in the nick of time for an Ashes debut.

Ball made a brief but lasting impression at the start of the tour before straining ankle ligaments when he lost his footing in his delivery stride earlier in the month.

The 26-year-old seamer insists he is “fully fit” again and intends to vindicate glowing reports from coach Trevor Bayliss and others that he was shaping up as potentially England’s best bowler in these conditions.

All indications from the tourists’ camp are that Ball will play in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane on Thursday, preferred to the uncapped Craig Overton as England’s fourth seamer.

In just three Tests to date, set a thankless task in two against India in Mumbai and Chennai last year, Ball has so far taken just two wickets at the unflattering average of 114 each.

But back in a country he has previously savoured, albeit at club level, he believes he can help England upset the odds.

“I’m really looking forward to it, 100 per cent,” he said.

“It’s a massive game, a massive series (and) I think we’ve got a great chance.

“If you go through (the two sides) and look one by one against each other, then I think we just edge it.

“Our team vibe has been amazing, so come the first day I think we’re going to hit the ground running and hope to surprise a few people.”

To do so, they will have to handle the famed Gabba hostility - from both sides of the rope - and Ball is confident he can do that too.

“Personally, I think you have to let a little bit in,” he said. “You have to enjoy it, the banter and use it to your advantage and let it drive you on.

“I’m just going to go out there and enjoy every minute of it.”

He can do so with the freedom of someone who, just for a second, wondered if his tour was over almost before it began 10 days ago.

Asked if he feared his Ashes were done in Adelaide, he said: “Yes, for a split-second. I think I had my eyes closed and was (thinking): ‘Does it hurt?’

“It did at the time but I managed to get a bit of movement while I was out there and walking off didn’t seem too bad.

“The medical staff have been amazing, and sorted me out.”